THE LEAVENS TO BE PURGED 1 CORINTHIANS 5: 6-8

Introduction: here in this text Apostle Paul compares sin with leaven and commands the congregation at Corinth to clean out the sins from their midst in the same way the Jewish community had  removed leaven from their homes during their first Passover (Exodus 12:19-20). Just as leaven permeates an entire lump of dough, sinful behavior affects the entire life of an individual and congregation. Let us take few minutes to consider the leavens that are to be purged from us.

I. The leaven of Sin: Sin can be anything that displeases God. If you know anything about sin, then you know that sin is like yeast.  Sin grows and spreads just like yeast in dough.  Cheaper dead flies are powerful enough to spoil the costliest ointment Ecclesiastes 10:1. In the same manner sin works its way into your whole life until your life is completely corrupted by it. Therefore purging out the leaven of sin shouldn’t be occasional instead it should be often.

II. Leaven of hypocrisy: The believers at Corinth were known for their Spiritual gifts. But there was no love among them and there was no holiness in them. Their superficial spiritual life blinded their eyes to see the defiling leaven in their midst. Jesus had warned His disciples to avoid this type of behavior by using leaven as the metaphor of this sinful conduct (Matthew 16:5-12).

III. Leaven of disobedience: The apostle Paul also referred to leavening when teaching the Galatians about obedience to God’s laws. There were those who distorted God’s grace into license to sin. Paul made the point that a small amount of misrepresentation of the truth can lead to large amounts of confusion and deceit. Galatians 5:7-10 contains his warning.

Conclusion: The biblically relevant question we need to ask is: “Am I leavened?” In other words, do I still live a sinful life before God’s eyes? Have I learned to worship God with the “unleavened bread of sincerity and truth,” or am I living a sinful, hypocritical life?

Patience in the Midst of Trials 2 Thessalonians 1: 4

Introduction: There had been great difficulty in Thessalonica, but the Thessalonians patiently endured.  The word endure means “to hold one’s self up; to refuse to submit to the pressures of life.”  It was a time of intense persecution for the church and yet they were patient in the Lord. That simply means they were steadfast in their stand and endured the difficulties with resolve. Life was hard, but the Thessalonians had stood as individuals committed to the cause of Christ. The story is told of an artist who went to visit an old friend. When he arrived, she was weeping. He asked why. She showed him a beautiful handkerchief that had great sentimental value, but which had been ruined by a spot of indelible ink.  The artist asked her to let him have the handkerchief, which he returned to her by mail a few days later. When she opened the package she could hardly believe her eyes. The artist, using the inkblot as a base, had drawn on the handkerchief a design of great beauty. Now it was more beautiful & more valuable than ever. Sometimes the tragedies that break our hearts can become the basis for a more beautiful design in our lives. Be patient with the hurts over which you have no control. In God’s hands they may even become a source of healing, help, & beauty.

Blessings Patience Brings: We live in a society of instant gratification. We are unaccustomed to waiting for much of anything. This impatience has even found its way inside the church. Let us know that Abraham waited 25 long years for the promised son, Isaac? Moses spent 40 years on the backside of the desert, in the middle of nowhere, preparing to lead God’s people, and then spent another 40 years wandering in the desert. Surely God has great things in store for us, but we must be patient and wait for Him to work in our midst. Apostle James in chapter 5: 7-19 exhorts believers to be patient until the Lord’s coming. Hebrews 12:1 tells us to "run with endurance" the race set before us. Some of the greatest missionaries of history devotedly spread the seed of God's Word and yet had to wait long periods before seeing the fruit of their efforts. William Carey, for example, laboured 7 years before the first Hindu convert was brought to Christ in Burma, and Adoniram Judson toiled 7 years before his faithful preaching was rewarded. In western Africa, it was 14 years before one convert was received into the Christian church. In New Zealand, it took 9 years; and in Tahiti, it was 16 years before the first harvest of souls began.

Conclusion: The Lord is full of pity and tender mercy.  So, where is your patience? Are you always in a hurry—even when God isn’t? Do all the work you can, and trust God for the results. Jesus is coming back. Will you be patiently trusting in Him? 

The rising sun will come to us from heaven Luke 1:78

Luke chapter 1 is filled with divine wonders and miracles. Angel Gabriel appeared to Zacharias and to Mary to tell them about the birth of John and Messiah. Zacharias became speechless because he had doubted the words of angel. Later, his speech was restored in obedience to the command of the angel Vs: 63-64.  When his speech was restored Zacharias lifted his voice and glorified God. In this incredible paragraph of praise Vs: 67-79, Zacharias prophesised about the coming Messiah and pictured Him as “Dayspring” which means “Sunrise” Vs: 75. Zacharias has rightly named Him “Dayspring” as He makes His rays shine upon the world trapped in darkness.

The careful study of Vs: 78-79 helps us to understand about three areas of our life that can be transformed dramatically by the rays of Heaven’s Sunrise. First, Sunrise shone in our darkness that we may have peace with God, and we no longer abide in the darkness of this world. The Sunrise transformed the darkness in our lives into light. He has called us out of darkness into His wonderful light that we may declare the praises of Him 1 Peter 2:9.  Second, Zacharias tells us here that Jesus came to bring His light into the very shadow of death. Jesus conquered death on our behalf therefore we believers do not need to fear death, 1 Corinthians 15:53-58. For a believer death is nothing but a doorway through which we pass from this world into the presence of the Lord in Heaven. If we are in Jesus, if the Rays of Heaven’s Sunrise shone in our lives, certainly death has no claim on us. Jesus the Sunrise conquered death for us eternally. Third, Zacharias says that the Rays of Heaven’s Sunrise shines to direct our feet into the path of peace. When we were in darkness we didn’t know how to walk in accordance God and His righteousness. We were left to our own devices; we merely tend to wander farther away from God, Isaiah 53:6. But when we are saved, when the Rays of Sunshine shone upon us, the Lord gave us a heart to follow Him, His Spirit within us to guide us, and He gave us His perfect Word to teach us of His ways and of His will for our lives. Bible is the blessed Word of God that will never lead the saint of God astray, instead that will ever supply the guidance needed to get us safely home to Heaven, Psalm 119:105.

Dear friends, I don't know where this message finds you. In darkness, afraid of the future, or unsure about today, but I know that where ever you are, there is help, and there is hope in the Person of Heaven's Sunrise! Let us allow the rays of Heaven’s Sunrise to shine in all the areas of our life. Let our light shine before men that they may glorify our Father who is in heaven.   

THE SAVING GRACE OF GOD MATTHEW 1:1-17

Matthew’s genealogical account in this text is something unusual because in the Jewish custom women were never given a part in anyone's genealogy. However God the Holy Spirit inspired Matthew to include these five women in the genealogy of Jesus to show us God’s love and His saving grace upon the fallen men. In these five women we can see the complete portrait of our Lord's love and plan of salvation for the sinners.

Thamar – Thamar the Canaanite was the incestuous daughter in law of Judah (Genesis 38:1-30). The meaning for the word “Thamar” is Palm tree. This refers to stability and life giving power! Jesus stabilizes all of life. He gives purpose to the wayward soul. He is also the fountain of life. Men are dead apart from Him, Ephesians 2:1, and are made alive when they believe on His name - Acts 16:31; 1 John 5:12. 

Rahab – Rahab was the prostitute and the member of a doomed race (Joshua 2:1-24).  The meaning for the word “Rahab” is Wide, Broad.  Rahab’s life and her inclusion in the family of God shows that God's love is broad, it extends to all men - Jeremiah 31:3; John 3:16. His grace is available to all men - Romans 10:13. Jesus can transform the sinner’s life Hebrews 11:31. 

Ruth - Ruth was a Moabitess, a Gentile. She was the poor widow of an Israelite, she was moral and upright. If there was ever a friend to the sinner, it was and is Jesus! Matthew 11:19! His love for His friends was so deep that He was willing to demonstrate it by dying on a cross - John 15:13. 

Bathsheba - 2 Samuel 11 - Bathsheba was the adulterous wife of a Gentile man named Uriah, 2 Samuel 11:3. The meaning for the word Bathsheba is Daughter of Complete Satisfaction. The soul's satisfaction is found in none other than the Lord Jesus Himself Psalm 107:9. Jesus is rest and contentment for the sin weary soul! - Matt. 11:28!

Mary - Mary was a young, pure Israelite girl. She was evidently very religious and was willing to yield her life and her reputation to the hand of a God Luke 1:26-38. The meaning for the word Mary is “Their Rebellion”. Certainly we can see contrast between her name and her attitude but the name has profound spiritual meaning.  It is our rebellion against God that separated us from God and made us worthy of hell. In Jesus, there is total reconciliation! He never lowers God's standards, He raises ours! He turns our rebellion into love and devotion to the will and way of God - 1 John 4:19!

Do you want to experience God’s saving grace? If so, then come to Jesus. Come to Him right now. You cannot be a part of His ancestry, but you can be a part of His lineage. All it takes is a step of faith on your part. Will you take that step of faith right now? Will you come to Jesus? He has come for you today, why don't you just come to Him?

The Rod of Discipline (Proverbs 13:24)

Laws are made in our contemporary Society against parental disciplining at home and in School. The Child Right movement and the activists say spanking children is bad because it teaches them to be violent and hurts their self-esteem. Will disciplining children hurt their self – esteem? Will it make them rude and violent? What the Word of God says in this regard? Let us find answers for these questions in the light of the Scripture.

God, in His revealed Word, said that “he who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly” (Proverbs 13:24). Further the Word of God also gives us the reason why we need to begin disciplining our children "Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of discipline will remove it far from him (Proverbs 22:15)." Thus the “Rod of discipline” is used to remove the foolishness that is bound up in the heart of the child.

The Word of God allows the parents to discipline their children however the parents should understand the true meaning of disciplining before they discipline their children. First, disciplining the Children is not mere beating or inflicting pain on their body instead it is moulding and shaping them with their unique talents and abilities to reflect the nature of God. It’s to make the children to mature and reflect the character of Jesus as shown in the bible. Second, Discipline is not something we do to our children; it’s something we do for our children. Third, Discipline is a moral correction which may include corporal punishment (Proverbs 22:15). The “Rod of discipline” in Proverbs 22:15 has the idea of inflicting pain in order to associate pain with wrong. The “Rod of discipline” will remove the foolishness from the heart of a child when it is administered in God’s way with the right motive. The right use of the “Rod of discipline” helps the children to learn two simple yet essential facts: first, it helps them to understand wrong brings pain second; it helps them to learn right brings affirmation. The children will not die when they are spanked but the gentle and firm spank will deliver their souls from the way of death.

The “Rod of discipline” is unavoidable to save the children from the way of death however the measure and mode of correction must depend upon the age, sex, and temperament, mental and physical maturity of the child. The important point for the parents to notice here is that their disciplining should be gracious like our Heavenly Father's discipline, never more than the children can bear. The parents also must be sure that disciplining of their children will surely bring them to repentance and confession.

Let me conclude my writing with the illustration to help the parents to know consequences when their children are not disciplined according to God’s way. The poet Coleridge was visited by a man who had a theory about raising children. He stated, "I believe children should be given a free rein to think and act and thus learn at an early age to make their own decisions. This is the only way they can grow into their full potential." Coleridge made no comment but simply led the man to his garden. "Come see my flower garden," he said. The opinionated visitor took one look at the overgrown garden and remarked, "Why, that's nothing but a yard full of weeds." The wise poet declared, "It used to be filled with roses, but this year I thought I'd let the garden grow as it willed without tending to it. This is the result." Dear parents the “Rod of discipline” is necessary for the proper maturing of your child. If you truly love your children you will discipline them. God is the great example of parental love, yet He does not spare the rod ... Hebrews 12:7.

Yours in His service

G. Paul Raj

Wandering Sheep! Restoring Shepherd

Wandering Sheep! Restoring Shepherd

Isaiah 53:6; Luke 19:10

The great men and women of God mentioned in the Bible and in the history of Christendom were prone to wander and committed serious sin against God. Despite their weakness and shortcoming God out of His love and mercy brought them back to His fold and glorified His name through them. We too tend to wander and often run away from God. Therefore we are often compared to sheep in the Bible, in Psalms 23 we read about the relationship between the sheep and Shepherd. Psalms 100 says that we are the sheep of His pasture. We are compared to sheep because we are so much like sheep that tend to wander and go astray and go on our own way (Isaiah 53:6). It is common for the wandering sheep to fell prey at the mouths of wild animals. Likewise we too invite spiritual disaster by wandering away from Jesus our true shepherd that would ultimately result in eternal damnation. However there is a “Hope of Restoration” for every wandering sheep that which is willing to yield and to obey the tender voice of the Shepherd. 

Many years ago, a man by the name of Robert Robinson was riding in a stagecoach.  Another passenger in the coach was humming a verse of the hymn “Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing.”  She asked Robinson what he thought of the hymn she was humming. His answer was a strange one.  He said, “Madam, I am the poor unhappy man who wrote that hymn many years ago, and I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, to enjoy the feelings I had then.” In 1743, when Robert Robinson was just eight years old, he lost his father. The fatherless Robert became unruly and indulged in gambling and drinking. God saved him through George Whitefield. He then had become a preacher in the Methodist church. At the age of 22, he wrote the song “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” to express his joy that he found in his new faith and to complement his sermon at the Calvinist Methodist Chapel in Norfolk, England. Robert encountered circumstances that which made him to wander from the Lord and forced him to join Unitarian Church that which deliberately denies the deity of Jesus Christ. However God according to His divine will restored this wanderer back into His fold through the hope filled words “the streams of mercy are still flowing” uttered by his co – passenger in a stagecoach. If the sheep tend to wander then it is Shepherd’s nature to restore the wandering sheep back into His fold. In Psalms 23 verse 3 we read that Lord restores the sheep that strays.  The word “restores” means ''to bring back, to turn back, to draw back.'' Luke chapter 15 is called “God’s lost and found department”. Jesus our loving Shepherd cares for every one of us. He is the Good Shepherd who goes out to look for every wandering sheep and rejoices when he can bring them back to the faith.

St. Augustine was born at Tagaste (modern Algeria) in Africa.  His father was a pagan who became Christian on his death bed. His mother Monica was a devout Christian. Thus he had an opportunity to have a Christian upbringing.  Though he was brought up in Christian atmosphere, his sins of impurity and his pride prevented him from knowing the divine truth anymore. His mother’s incessant prayer and the preaching of St. Ambrose paved the way to his repentance. Yet his philosophical thinking made him to believe that he could never live a pure life. The distressed Augustine cried to his friend Alipius "Unlearned people are taking Heaven by force, but we, the learned are wallowing in the mud of our sins!" One day full of bitter sorrow, Augustine flung himself out into the garden and cried out to God, "How long more, O Lord? Why does not this hour put an end to my sins?" God answered his prayers and prompted him to read one of Apostle Paul’s letters in which he exhorted believers to put away all impurity and to live in imitation of Jesus. That did it! From then on, Augustine began a new life and was baptized on Easter Eve 387 A.D... Dear friends, if any one of you feels that you have slipped away from the faith then turn back and allow the Good Shepherd to find you.  We begin to find life only when we come back to our Heavenly Father. It is never too late to repent and to return to the fold.

Your in His Service

G. Paul Raj

Abide with us

Abide with us

Luke 24:29

The story behind the hymn “Abide with me” is remarkable. The author of the hymn, Henry Francis Lyte, was an Anglican priest and vicar of All Saints Church in Brixham, England. He was also a published poet and accomplished hymn writer who also penned “Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken” and “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven”. For most of his life Lyte suffered from poor health, and he would regularly travel abroad for relief, as was the tradition in that day. Nevertheless, he developed tuberculosis and, at the age of 54, came near to the end of his life. However, there is no clear evidence when he actually wrote this hymn. But assumptions say that Lyte probably wrote the hymn in 1820, and recalled the hymn during the illness that led to his death in 1847. He whispered “Peace and Joy” and lost his breath on September 4, 1847.  Many have a misconception that this hymn should be sung only in the funeral service. But the plea “Abide with me” at the end of each verse tells us the truth that we need God in every stage and condition of life.  Thus the hymn echoes cry of the saints who feel their need of God in each and every moment of their life.

Lyte’s this hymn was based on his sermon he preached on the text of the resurrected Jesus meeting two disciples on the road to Emmaus; at their request "Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent" (KJV) Jesus ate dinner with them (Luke 24:29). He revealed himself to them. In short, he lingered in their presence. The death of Jesus created disappointment, doubt, disillusionment, defeat, discouragement and despondency in the heart of Cleopas and in the other disciple. But when the resurrected Lord agreed to stay with them and revealed Himself to them their despondent hearts had been changed to hearts filled with hope and renewed faith. The presence of the resurrected Lord graciously cleared away the fog of confusion and their broken hearts had been transformed into hearts that were on fire for their Lord!

The half spelled Waterloo war news "Wellington defeated . . ."  under General Wellington against Napoleon on  18, 1815, created fear and despair in the hearts of English people temporarily. The dreadful news was spread across England quickly, throwing the land into despair. The people of England thought the battle was lost. But the cloud of fear, despair and qualm soon lifted from their hearts when the people heard the complete news "Wellington defeated Napoleon." The people’s mood was geared up from tragedy to triumph.

Dear friends, the things that we see, news we hear and the situations that we are going through may create the cloud of disappointment, doubt, disillusionment, defeat, discouragement and despondency in our hearts but be courageous because the living God is with us in every stage and condition of our life. The assurance of His constant presence can lift the cloud of fear, despair and qualm from our hearts. But we need Him to abide with us to protect us from the evil of this world, the temptations of the devil, and the weakness of our own sinful flesh. The days are evil and dangerous therefore we need Him to abide with us every passing hour! Dear friends let us earnestly beseech the Lord to stay with us as the Emmaus disciples beseeched: “Stay with us, Lord, for it is evening, and the day is almost over.”